The basic function of a timed writing is to see if you can articulate and prove a thesis by supplying supportive examples in a limited amount of time. Understanding and performing this task may become easier by utilizing a few time-tested guidelines.
Instructions
1. Read the entire passage closely to determine what you are being asked to write about. You may need to agree or disagree with the passage, do a comparison/contrast piece or analyze effect or the author's purpose. Once you discover what the topic of your essay is, make certain to stay on topic.
2. Organize your essay with the standard introduction, body and conclusion where you make an assertion. Support it with solid examples pulled from the text; then reiterate your stance. Each idea should be segregated into its own paragraph. Generally, you will make three individual claims in the body, making it three paragraphs long. Add the introduction and conclusion, and your essay should be five paragraphs total.
3. Familiarize yourself with key terms and definitions.The "Cliffs AP Language and Composition" study guide advises making a glossary of words like "syntax" and "didactic." This list will make it easier to see how things like diction and rhetoric work together. By becoming comfortable with the words you are likely to come across, you are more likely to write an essay that demonstrates you understand the passage and the question.
4. Vary your sentence structure. Write short, concise sentences peppered with longer ones. Attempt to use colons, semicolons and dashes, not just commas exclusively. Be sure you are confident and comfortable with these techniques before utilizing them. You do not want to use these incorrectly while writing.
5. Practice as many timed writings as you can get your hands on. The more repetitions you do, the more comfortable you will become. With each practice drill, you sharpen critical thinking skills by encountering different writing styles posing different questions. If yesterday you had to write on Huxley's "Brave New World" and today you read Orwell's "1984," you might be able to pull notions from yesterday to bolster the current assignment.
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